Jneyam - Sidhi1

[Guest guest]

Namaste!Though the stories of Sage Adi Sankaracharya are well known the following one is worth repeating.  Sage Sankaracarya had promised to his mother that he will be there by  her side when she was about to die.  His mother lived in a small village Kalady in Kerala while the great sage was traveling all over India with his disciples.  Several centuries ago, when there was no communication facilities as we have today, it was impossible for ordinary ones to know where traveling ascetics were.  

When Sage Sankaracarya's mother fell sick and while on her death bed  she thought of her son. Unknown to her, the sage was somewhere far off.   As promised, the sage arrived near the bed of her mother.  He composed and chanted initially Siva bhujanga prayatam and subsequently Vishnu bhujanga prayatam to alleviate his mother's fear of death.  

He was able to come from a far off place (may be from Northern part of India) because of the sidhis that he possessed.  The eight sidhis or ashta sidhis are as follows.  

Anima    --    Reducing the body to a very small size say that of an atomMahima    --     Expanding the body to an infinitely large size

Garima    --     Becoming infinitely heavy Laghima    --    Becoming almost weightless

Pragamyam --    Getting whatever a person desiresPrapti --    To have unrestricted access to any place

Isitva --    Becoming the lord or possessing the lordshipThese siddhis may appear to be attractive, but let us not conclude that yet.  We shall see more of it next time.

Hari Aum!Chith Puram